Psychology Today: HamletThroughout Hamlet the reader sees how Hamlet’s behaviors progresses from one extremity to another. The death of Hamlet’s father was the beginning of Hamlet’s drive towards insanity. After the King’s death, Hamlet’s mother remarried the late King’s brother, Claudius, which drove Hamlet’s behavior even worse. As the play continues, we can see that Hamlet’s sanity steadily decreases during the entire plot. Psychological analysis will reveal a perspective of what Hamlet is thinking and why his behavior dropped into the status it became. Initial Assessment: Hamlet is in a deep state of depression, the death of his father is causing a great deal of grief. His mourning at this stage seems to be at a more advanced stage of severity than it should be. His first soliloquy, “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt,

Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on’t ah, fie! ‘Tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature,
Possess it merely. That is should come to this!
But two months dead – nay, not so mush, not two!
So excellent a king, that was to this
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on; an yet, within a month –
Let me not think on’t. Frailty, thy name is woman! –
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father’s body,
Like Niobe, all tears – why she, even she –
O God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourned longer – married my uncle;
My father’s brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the...

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...﻿Hamlet
Seminar Discussion Questions
Act 1
1. What is the purpose of the two discussions of the crowing of the cock, Horatio’s pagan one (1.1.130-37) and Marcellus’ Christian one (1.1. 138-45)? (1.1.)
2. What is Claudius telling the court in the first part of his speech (1.2.1-16)? What does he say about young Fortinbras and his uncle the king of Norway (1.2.17-41)? How is Claudius responding to the threat? (You may also want to keep in mind that the name “Claudius” appears only in the opening stage direction for 1.2. The name is never spoken in the play. He is simply “the King.”) (1.2.)
3. What do Claudius and Gertrude want Hamlet to do that he doesn’t want to do? What won’t they let him do? How does he respond to them? How do they respond to the way he responds to them? (You probably know three names associated with the University of Wittenberg in Germany: Martin Luther, Doctor Faustus and Hamlet. Can you see any connections among the three?) (1.2.)
4. What is Hamlet’s response to the news from Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo? Notice the way Hamlet questions them. How much do we know about how his mind works at this point of the play? What does he suspect as the reason for the ghost’s appearance (1.2.254-57)? (1.2.)
5. How willing is Ophelia to discuss with her father what she has discussed with Laertes? What is his response to Hamlet’s interest in her and her response to him? How seriously should...

...Study Guide for Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
GENERAL QUESTIONS
1. Pay attention to Shakespeare’s poetry with its imagery and figures of speech. Hamlet is written in poetic meter called blank verse. Define blank verse.
2. Make character studies: Horatio, Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes. Note character traits exhibited through a character’s own words, his action, others’ comments about him, etc.
3. Study Hamlet’s soliloquies carefully. Why does Shakespeare give Hamlet several soliloquies?
4. What are some major themes in Hamlet?
5. Compare Shakespeare’s written version of Hamlet with a film version like Zefferelli’s starring Mel Gibson.
6. As a young Christian, do you find anything appealing in Hamlet’s character and in the drama itself?
ACT ONE
7. What does Shakespeare accomplish through Act One, Scene One?
8. What are some early signs that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark”?
9. How well does Claudius perform his royal duties—domestic and foreign policy?
10. What counsel and commands do Polonius and Laertes give Ophelia?
11. Describe the meeting between Hamlet and the ghost. What does the ghost reveal?
ACT TWO
12. Why does Shakespeare choose to have Ophelia relate the dramatic scene between herself and Hamlet rather than enact...

...Hamlet- Documented Essay
Marcellus’ quote, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (I, iv, 100), is the overall theme to Act I, of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but can also relate to the whole play. When he said it, it was only to mean that something suspicious was occurring and things didn’t seem right. However, it encompasses a lot more than Marcellus planned it to. During this time setting, different events were happening which caused major corruption within the country. Even though Denmark from the outside world appeared as a well functioning nation, inside, people were beginning to suffer from the disease of corruption. “The cause and effect relationship begins to quickly spread the disease throughout the characters” (unknown author). In Hamlet, we see that as the play progresses, three main characters become rotten with corruption; Claudius, Polonius and Hamlet. Claudius and Hamlet try to hide it at first, but it soon becomes too much and they eventually can‘t hold it in any longer. Polonius on the other hand, is open about his motives from the beginning and doesn’t see anything wrong with what he is doing.
All throughout Act I we see different relations to the quote, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” To start off, they have an immoral King running the country. Not only did he kill his own brother for the crown, but then married his brother’s wife to...

...Hamlet is a play by William Shakespeare that displays multiple themes and motifs throughout the text. Some main themes are incest and violence. Incest is a key aspect in the play. Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, kills his father and then marries his mother to become King of Denmark. Hamlet shows a great sense of concern for Gertrude, his mother about remarrying and her sex life with Claudius, which is shown when he cries to her and rapes her. Laertes also shows incestuous desire toward Ophelia, speaking with her in sexual terms and then leaping into her grave at her funeral. Violence is clearly a theme, with all the murders and deaths that occur throughout the play. Hamlet likes to act in violent ways at times, and this is definitely evident as the play unfolds.
Laertes is ready to leave for school in France when he says his goodbyes to his family. He first talks to his sister Ophelia about Hamlet’s love. Laertes is not too fond oh Hamlet and wants to make sure Ophelia stays away. “His greatness weighed, his will is not his own,/ For he himself is subject to his birth.” (1.3 501-502). Laertes
is reminding Ophelia that he is a member of the royal family, and therefore his intentions do not matter much. Laertes is saying that he is a slave to his family’s obligations. Therefore Hamlet might not necessarily love Ophelia, but instead he is forced to love her because of the kingdom’s decision.
Laertes continues...

...In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, the title character’s logical soliloquies, and over thinking of situations inhibit his abilities to act on his passions. It’s safe to say that Hamlet was a logical and reasonable person right from the start. In the society he was raised in most actions carried out through passion were considered taboo. Take jealousy, lust and vengeance for example; in the play all of these passions are put into satisfying action by the people surrounding Hamlet. Everyone but Hamlet makes a move based on emotion; Claudius murdered his brother for his crown, Gertrude quickly married Claudius, and Laertes takes revenge on Hamlet. The prince, instead, takes the path of thought and only allows himself to do what he makes himself believe is the most logical.
In the beginning Hamlet is distressed. He feels no compassion for his new stepfather considering him “a little more than kin and less than kind” (I.ii.67), as Claudius is not a replacement for his father and Hamlet refuses to accept that. He most definitely does not stand for Claudius referring to him as ‘son.’
His relationship with his mother isn’t any better. Hamlet feels a strong resentment toward this whole marriage business and expresses his displeasure through riddles in court. “Ay, madam,” he says disdainfully toward his mother’s insistence that he stop mourning and that death...

...HAMLET NOTES
* Themes:
* Certainty and Uncertainty
* Because of all the deceit and theme of appearance and reality, every character is uncertain of who they are and who others are really like. No one knows for sure and is certain who anyone is anymore.
* The audience is confused and not sure of the characterHamlet, Gertrude, Ophelia etc are anymore- there are so many attitudes and situations in the play that make these characters uncertain.
* Hamlet and his antic disposition- he pretended to be mad but towards the end it also seemed as if he actually went mad.
* It is uncertain that Gertrude is a queen blinded by Claudius and Hamlet or a person who doesn’t care about what happened to King Hamlet and just wants to stay in power. She can also be viewed as an incestuous woman. No one knows for sure anymore.
* Ophelia starts out as a distraught girl who is in love with hamlet but then goes crazy when she finds out he ‘doesn’t love her’. It is not certain who Ophelia really is as her character is ambiguous in general.
* Appearance and reality
* King Claudius appears to be good man but in reality he is the murderer of the King Hamlet. Deceitfully and criminally took the throne for himself.
* Polonius seems like a loving father but in reality he is a manipulative and deceitful man....

...Hamlet's strange behavior. While she was sowing in her room Hamlet barged in with dirty and messed up clothes, looking pitiful and insane. He then went up to Ophelia and held her wrist while stroking the side of her face, nodding three times and sighing "profoundly", then subsequently leaving her. It was surprising to involve Ophelia so directly in Hamlet's play at insanity, as I figured he would act around Claudius and Polonius instead. But by acting as a distraught lover, the source of his insanity is clearer and easily acceptable by Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius than the "murder" of King Hamlet. It is difficult to tell if Hamlet truly is upset at being rejected, as they have not been in a scene together and as Hamlet seems to condemn women from his experiences from his mother. Ophelia has strictly obeyed her father, since she fears that Hamlet's actions were due to her denying him according to Polonius' orders.
4. What is Polonius' response to what Ophelia tells him? Where are they going?
When Ophelia tells Polonius of Hamlet's strange behavior Polonius responds by telling Ophelia that he will tell the King Claudius of their suspicions. Polonius then displays a guilty response, by saying that he had gone too far in forcing Ophelia to so abruptly deny Hamlet, and felt sorry for how his suspicions had played out.
2.2
1. Why have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to court? What is their...

...Bob
Ms.ZZ
ENG-4U
December, 06th, 2013
Corrupting forces of Deception
Lies and deception lead to many actions that have disastrous consequences. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the theme of lies and deception is very significant to the plot. Hamlet is a play about the revenge of a the protagonist, the prince whose late father's ghost visits him. Hamlet is told by his fathers ghost that the king was murdered by Claudius, Hamlets uncle in order to inherit the throne and also married Hamlet's mother– the Queen. When Hamlet is told that his father was killed by his uncle he is determined to avenge his fathers death but also wants to make sure that Claudius indeed committed this act of murder by staging a play, "The Murder of Gonzago". This play within a play is about the murder of a king much like the situation of the late king, Hamlets father. The purpose of this play, "The Murder of Gonzago" was for Hamlet to see the reaction of Claudius in order to insure that he indeed committed the murder through his reaction which indeed he showed. When Hamlet finally takes his revenge on his uncle, it leads to his death and the dissolution of others. Deception can be linked to the downfall of every major character in the play, specifically the demises of Polonius, Hamlet, and Claudius. Hamlet's quest for revenge on his father's behalf leads...